Alternate Universe
by Athyra
Summary: When he was given a chance to inflict suffering upon his enemies, Shinn took it without hesitation. He soon discovers how much it costs to mess with people's destiny. To undo his mistakes, he must make peace with his past self and understand his enemies.
1. Chapter 1 A Different Path

_**PAIRINGs:**__Implied Shinn x Luna, Shinn x Stellar, Athrun x Cagalli, Kira x Lacus, Dearka x Miriallia, Yzak x Shiho_

_**SUMMARY: **When he was given a chance to inflict suffering upon his enemies, Shinn took it without hesitation. He soon discovers how much it costs to mess with people's destiny. To undo his mistakes, he must make peace with his past self and to understan his enemies. And to do so, he must enlist the help of a bitter Princess, an emotionless Captain and a reluctant songstress._

_**DISCLAIMER: **__This is a story based on characters and situations from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny._

_**WARNING: **__Text and all related materials are rated __**PG13/T**__ There are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: **__This story starts near the end of Battle of Messiah. After that, the story goes AU, and everything up to 'Operation Angel Down' is true. This fic is in Shinn's POV, remember._

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**Chapter 1 A Different Path**

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_He screamed in pain as Destiny crashed hard onto the moon's surface. The once-powerful mobile suit rolled and rolled, making the pilot nauseous during all the spinning in the cockpit. It finally skidded to a stop as the power slowly shut down. He coughed weakly, uncertain whether it was bile or blood that floated out of his cracked helmet._

_Staring at the rapidly dissipating screen, his half-open eyes saw the victor of their deadly duel boosted away towards the Requiem. A golden Mobile suit followed Infinite Justice as they worked together in destroying the Minerva and Requiem._

_Impulse landed besides him carefully, but the screen had already faded and he found himself enshrouded in darkness._

_------------------------------------------------_

_"Shinn Asuka, are you unsatisfied?"_

_"What-? Where am I?"_

_"I ask again. Are you unhappy with the events that ultimately resulted in your defeat?"_

_"Defeat? How dare you!! They didn't win! I-"_

_"Yes they did. Rey za Burrel, along with Gilbert Dullindal and Talia Gladys, perished along with the Messiah. The Requiem was destroyed. ZAFT have lost. Orb is not annihilated."_

_A strangled growl._

_Silence._

_"Will you do anything to make your enemies taste the defeat and the anguish you have suffered?_

_"...You're damn right I'd do anything!! That Freedom, that traitor, that Athha...every single one of them!!!"_

_"Very well. I shall change your fate. And in doing so, everyone's destiny shall change. Your defeats shall be undone."_

_"Wait! What do you-?"_

_A strange cackling. Swoosh. Bright painful white light. He closed his eyes, and everything was dark again._

_

* * *

_

Shinn Asuka opened his eyes hesitantly, and was immediately relieved to see a normal looking bedroom. His anger had not left him, but he was too confused to think too much about it.

Scanning the room quickly, he nodded to himself, satisfied that he didn't detect anything out of ordinary. Then he realized he was completely unscathed. Lifting his arm up, he examined his skin, surprised to see no scars. He was pretty certain that he got a horrible concussion inflicted by Athrun-

Shinn gripped the bedsheets in anger. The humiliation of his defeat had not left him.Wait, why the hell was he resting here anyways? Hn, no matter. He could find out the answers to his current situation later. Now, he had a score to settle!!

He jumped from the bed and searched through the apartment with familiarity, somehow. His sister's pink cellphone was sitting on his desk innocently, and his hand brushed the device nostalgically.

Shaking his head, he opened his wardrobe and his jaw dropped in astonishment.

There were different versions of Orb Representative Uniform! It was exactly the same as that Athha's, only it was red and black. What the-?

A sudden beeping caught his attention. "Come down to the conference room immediately, Shinn," a monotony voice said from the transmission device.

Shinn blinked. Wait, that voice...

Rey? It was his voice for sure! But, wasn't Rey-? What the hell-??

Shinn closed his eyes in pain as pieces of memories started rushing back into his head. He was fighting against Infinite Justice...and what happened after that? Wait, there was an unknown entity telling him about, er, changing his destiny? So, right now, he was living...a different life?

He glanced at the uniform warily. He became Orb's Representative? How about Athha? What happened to her? _There's no friggin' way she'd give up her job, let alone to me, the Orb-hater. Why would I take this job in the first place? That strange voice told me I get to inflict suffering upon my enemies... what does that mean? 'Undo my defeats?!'_

Shinn decided to ponder more when he had the time. He couldn't wait to see his best friend again. Perhaps, Rey could explain everything.

-------------------------------------

He almost gasped in awe just by looking out the elevator. Apparently, his apartment was pretty high up, so he had to take the elevator down to the conference. The scenery before him was simply breathtaking, somehow even more beautiful than PLANTs.

_Orb is just as I remembered_, he thought half-heartedly, unable to digest the fact that he was actually admiring Orb. But, like Athrun had said, he had always liked Orb; he just refused to admit it, due to his hatred and grief. Sighing irritably at an oncoming headache, Shinn quickly strode towards the conference room, mildly surprised that he actually knew where it was.

"Shinn," Rey za Burrel nodded his head curtly in a typical-Rey greeting. Shinn smiled happily (as happily as he could muster without looking idiotic anyways), glad that his friend was alive. Then he looked at his friend over. Was that PLANT-Chairman's uniform?

"Is something the matter?" Rey's expression didn't change. Not wanting to look stupid, Shinn just sat down and complained about his headache.

"I don't know. When I woke up this morning, I can't seem to remember much...and then I slipped and hit my head in the shower, making my memories even blurrier," he glanced at the blond man, whose eyebrow rose in bemusement.

"That's...quite a problematic incident, Shinn. Perhaps you should consider going to the infirmary room, just for a brief check-up? We do have an important conference in 20 minutes, and you have a meeting with Captain Hawke in the afternoon."

_Eh? Captain Hawke? Is that Luna?_ His heart sped up, escatic to hear that his other...er, _friend_ was safe and sound, even promoted to a Captain!

Shinn chuckled, "No need, Rey. I think it's just temporary. Can you quickly fill me in? Like, what happened Athha? Chairman Dullindal? How about Archangel? And that fake Lacus Clyne?"

Rey frowned at that, and Shinn regretted at being too hasty at his choice of questions. "The concussion is a lot worse than I thought, Shinn. Are you telling me you don't remember anything at all? Anything since "Operation Angel Down?"

Shinn laughed nervously, "Of course not! Er, I kicked Freedom's ass, didn't I?" He cursed inwardly; he had defeated Freedom, sure, but the pilot had returned in a stronger version of Freedom and kicked _his _ass instead. So did Athrun. Dammit!!

Rey smiled lightly, "Indeed, Shinn. I know that no matter what, you would not forget such event. After all, it was the most glorious moment of your career, when you were still in ZAFT. Why, our new textbooks talked about your heroic deeds in annihilating that notorious Freedom!"

Shinn blanched. Did he just hear-

"With their strongest member gone, the rest of the rebels were nothing," Rey continued, "Orb put up quite a bit of resistance of course, but thanks to you, Shinn, the Destiny Plan is finally universal, as you can see!"

Shinn's face grew paler.

"Chairman Dullindal was killed when the Requiem fired upon Aprilius 4," Rey's hands clenched and unclenched, "But in the end, Djibril was no match for us. I shall carry on Chairman's will, just as you will, by changing Orb into a better place. Isn't that right?"

Shinn could only nod numbly. So, Freedom's pilot was dead? They won? ZAFT won?

After the intital shock faded, after his mind absorbed the new information, a twisted sense of triumph replaced cold, hollow horror. His body shook with unsuppressed glee, unable to describe his current feeling. He was right after all! He had really changed everyone's destiny!

Shinn's lips twisted up into a cruel smirk, "you got that right, Rey. We will make the world a better place."

Rey nodded, looking satisfied at Shinn's response. "Looks like you don't need that check-up after all. It's time for the conference, anyways."

Shinn drummed his fingers on the desks as several executive officers filed into the room. His chest puffed with arrogance and pride when they addressed him "Representative Asuka", "Asuka-sama", or "Supreme Commander".

Really, there was no need to find what the hell happened to all those other people. The pilot of Freedom was dead, and Athha's definitely somewhere else now. Zaft won, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

Shinn hummed to himself as he got off the limousine at Morgenroete. The M1 Astrays, Murasames and other Orb mobile suits were still here, of course, but the sight of those machines made his chest inflate with endless pride. 

_They're all under my command now. I rule Orb now!! Nothing tragic shall ever happen again while Orb is under my rule!! _Shinn promised to himself, smiling smugly. Nothing would get in his way ever again!

He gasped soflty in surprise as he saw the massive, familiar-yet-not-quite-the-same battleship. Minerva didn't look the way he remembered, but the battleship was probably rebuilt after...the Battle to defeat Djibril? Shrugging off such irrelevant thoughts, Shinn saluted to the officers almost lazily when they greeted him.

"Where is L...I mean, Captain Hawke?" Shinn drawled in a mocking tone. The officer sweated and averted his gaze, obviously intimidated by his red-eyed glare.

"Sh-She's waiting for you in her office, A-Asuka-sama."

Smirking in satisfaction, Shinn dismissed the poor worker and marched towards the Captain's office without hesitation. The inside structure was almost the same as he recalled. He smiled lightly at the fond memories. Yes, fond memories indeed.

He strode past several officers confidently. It seems like the ZAFT military had taken over Orb, since all soldiers wore ZAFT uniforms. _Well duh. From the conference earlier, Orb's government structure is definitely different now._ He didn't even bother knocking; the automatic door slid open and he stepped in almost excitedly.

"Lu-" Shinn opened his mouth to call out her name, but words died in his throat when a pair of cold indigo eyes met his shocked ones.

"Good afternoon, Representative," Lunamaria Hawke said emotionlessly, gesturing at the empty chair for him to sit down.

He slowly complied, unable to tear his gaze off his comrade. His once-lively, cheerful friend. The girl who was always smiling, her eyes always filled with life...

No, this can't be it. The ZAFT Captain before him was definitely not the Lunamaria he knew.

She stared at him blankly, her eyes highly guarded and glassy. The captain's hat casted a shadow upon her face, making her expressionless mask rather intimidating. Her glossy magenta hair, now long, cascaded down her white uniform in an almost careless way. Other than her eyes and hair color, he almost mistook her for Meyrin.

"Well? You requested to see me yesterday, saying it was an emergency. What is it?" Her voice betrayed nothing, a cold kind of detachment that made his heart wince.

Shinn breathed hard, trying to think of something to say. It was always easy to converse with her...why did it feel so different now?

"I just wanted to see how you're doing," Shinn said earnestly. Luna blinked slowly, as if unable to process his words.

"I'm doing fine."

Silence once again filled up the air. Shinn decided to look around the room, unable to withhold her jaded gaze. Interesting...her room was usually filled with photos of herself, Meyrin, him, Rey and their friends. But now, her room was simply empty.

"If you don't have anything important, Representative, I have a rather busy schedule," Luna said curtly, standing up and headed for the door.

"Wait-" his hands shot out impulsively and turned her around. She froze completely upon contact.

"Um, are you free at all this week? I'm thinking you, me, Rey and Meyrin can have lunch-"

Her eyes widened at the mention of her sister. Anger burned in her eyes as she wrenched her hand away from his grip.

And slapped him hard.

Shinn stared at her in shock while she trembled, glaring at him hatefully. "How _dare_ you..." she whispered bitterly and stormed out of the room.

Utterly confused, he could only gape, dumbstruck, when the door slammed in his face.

* * *

The meeting with Luna had unsettled him so much that he re-scheduled all his appointments, using the heacdache-excuse again. 

He sat down in front of the computer, hoping to find some information, anything, that could help him understand Luna's change of character.

He blanched the third time fo the day when he read an old archive on the internet.

_Athrun Zala, the former Chairman's son and hero of Jachin Due, was branded traitor along with an unnamed bridge officer. They were both stationed onboard the Minerva, which had recently brought down the monstrous Destroy in Berlin. It was clear, however, that those two were spies sent by LOGOs, and they had decided to flee along with several top-secret, and present them to Lord Djibril himself. They were masterfully shot down by none other than our ZAFT ace, Shinn Asuka. Their deaths were confirmed after 8 hours of salvaging through scraps of metal in the ocean. The unnamed CIC was buried in PLANTs at her family's request, while Athrun Zala's body was stolen after news had spread. It was still uncertain who the culprit was.. _

Shinn felt cold sweat as his hand started trembling in horror.

_No, this isn't what's supposed to happen...Athrun can't be dead. Meyrin can't be dead... I-I...he's supposed to get injured...not-not die! And Meyrin...oh god, Luna..._

It all made sense now. Unlike in the other 'time', Luna didn't forgive him, and they were dead...

Grabbing his coat, Shinn left the room hastily, feeling rather claustrophobic. This was too much.

_Athha. Don't tell me she was also-?_ Shaking his head furiously, he needed to calm down before researcing anything more. Surely Athha was still around somewhere, right? He glared at his uniform in pure disgust, not so gleeful at his current position now.

He was supposed to hate them. Hate Freedom's pilot. Hate Athrun. Hate Athha. But why, why did it feel so...empty? Was it because of Luna? Or was it also because-

_I do not pity them! They deserve it!_ He tried to recall his hatred for them, his pain and grief. But the internet archive still flashed in his mind tauntingly. Images of teasing Meyrin, being scolded by Athrun, and battling on the practice machines...

Shinn bit his lips hard, willing himself not to mourn for them.

As he came upon the memorial shore, he was relieved to see the small grave was still there. At least, it was something that resembled his family's grave.

He was shocked once again when he saw a familiar figure standing there, looking at him rather reproachfully. Her long pink hair did not flow with the wind as it should have, her crescent-shaped clips did not have any glints on them, and he could see the sky through her transparent body...?

He'd seen her before. She had stood beside Athha, claiming she was the real songstress. The commander of Eternal. The songstress of peace.

"Shinn...Asuka..." Her voice was like the wind somehow; it was carried a certain distance and...it simply disappeared.

"L-Lacus Clyne?"

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End of First Chapter

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**A/N:** Ah, another fic with a strange concept. This fic is to help my writer's block with my other two stories. This story shouldn't be as long as the other ones. The final exams are looming closer, and I fear for my life (sweatdrop). Yes, blame lack of updates on the exams.

Basically, Shinn finds himself in an alternate universe where things happened almost the opposite of the anime. So, yes, Kira, Athrun, and Meyrin are all gone. (They should've...how does one survive a slice to the cockpit?! Then an explosion?!)

He was quite happy at first, now he will start to realize many things...

Things will get less confusing as the story goes on. After all, you're all reading from Shinn's POV.

I'm not sure about the main pairing yet, because it really isn't the main point of this fic.

Please Review!! (Flames, as long as they're constructive, are welcome!)

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Athyra


	2. Chapter 2 Restless Spirits

_**PAIRINGs:**__Implied Shinn x Luna, Shinn x Stellar, Athrun x Cagalli, Kira x Lacus, Dearka x Miriallia, Yzak x Shiho_

_**SUMMARY: **__When he was given a chance to inflict suffering upon his enemies, Shinn took it without hesitation. As the world turns upside down, he soon discovers the consequences of his actions. In order to return everything to 'normal', he must enlist the help of a bitter Princess, an emotionless Captain and a reluctant songstress's spirit._

_**DISCLAIMER: **__This is a story based on characters and situations from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny._

_**WARNING: **__Text and all related materials are rated __**PG13/T**__ There are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: **__This story starts near the end of Battle of Messiah. After that, the story goes AU, and everything up to 'Operation Angel Down' is true. __This fic is in Shinn's POV, remember._

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**Chapter 2 Restless Spirits**

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Shinn panicked.

He wasn't the type to panic easily; he always masked his fear behind anger and frustration. But this time it was different; seeing the transparent form of Lacus Clyne made him feel like someone had just dumped a bucket of very cold ice on him over and over again.

Just as he took one step backward, the songstress faded away. With his heart thumping dangerously fast, Shinn walked forward hesitantly, wondering whether it was his imagination or not.

"Shinn Asuka..."

Yelping in surprise, Shinn spun around and saw nothing, yet his name still echoed around his ears...or was it in his mind?

"W-where are you? Show yourself!" He sputtered, his body tense.

Slowly, the songstress materialized in front of him, but parts of her body were still blurry. Shinn then found himself unable to tear his eyes from hers.

Sorrow.

It was so overwhelming that somehow he couldn't help but feel her pain as well.

"You can...hear me..." She muttered, her voice still echoed in his mind.

Gulping nervously, Shinn gathered up his courage and extended his arm forward... and met nothing. Her body was truly transparent.

"Are you... a ghost?"

Lacus shook her head slightly, "No... I am not sure...I do not understand why I still remain in this world...unable to reunite with those I love..."

They stared at each other in silence.

"It was... as if I still need to do something...that I have something unfinished..."

Endless images flooded through his mind suddenly, making him stagger with the intensity of the raw emotions that came with them. _Her_ emotions. He closed his eyes in pain, only to see a whole different perspective-

He saw an image of an older woman saying that 'Kira-kun' was dead. Stifling despair and sadness.

He saw an image of a pink battleship exploding into nothingness. Numbing shock.

He saw an image of Athha's golden mobile suit fighting against Destiny while Legend, Minerva and the rest of ZAFT ships sunk down Archangel. Anxiety and pain.

Lastly, he saw an image of Destiny slowly pointing its plasma cannon at Orb's Headquarters. Agonizing regret and resignation.

And then darkness.

Shinn gasped for breath as he forcefully re-opened his eyes. Lacus was about to put her hand on his shoulder, but she then froze, remembering that she couldn't.

"W-what was that?" He stammered, willing his headache to subside. Lacus looked at him silently, as if waiting for him to recover.

"D-did I...k-kill you?" He asked finally with dreadful realization.

She nodded lightly, as if not to startle him. "But I don't think... anyone knows ...that I've died..."

"W-why not?" Shinn was still unable to keep the tremor out of his rather squeaky voice, "S-surely the world would know if Lacus Clyne..."

"To the world, Lacus Clyne is still very much alive," she said sadly. Shinn recalled meeting with the pink-haired girl with very provocative outfit. The Chairman's Lacus.

"So... you are the real one," Shinn stated. _She had to be... that's the only way all of this makes sense_. He still remembered how angry Rey was when the real Lacus appeared besides Athha on the nationwide broadcast. That meant everything he'd fought for...

Was wrong? Rey lied? The chairman used everyone?

Lacus turned around and looked around the beach with longing. "There used to be children playing here, so happily and freely as well...and Kira..."

Her eyes clouded with pain and even though her lips were still moving, Shinn could no longer hear her completely.

"Kira...never wanted to fight...for a better future...Freedom...Cagalli..." were the words he managed to catch.

Once again, the songstress faded into nothingness. Shinn blinked, looking around frantically.

Lacus had vanished completely.

_Did she disappear again? _He stared at his hands, imagining them covered with blood. _So, I killed her as well. I've killed people who were actually right all along... No! I mustn't think this way. Rey wouldn't do something like this. The Chairman...they wouldn't..._

Once again, he tried to remember how much he hated Orb and those people, and once again, he couldn't. He was starting to feel revolted by himself.

Since his headaches were becoming worse, he decided it was best to return back to his...new home. Perhaps, when he wakes up again, everything would return to normal, that everyone he hates would still be alive and happy, and he would go back to being angry.

At least he knew how to handle being angry most of the time.

Glancing at the small memorial one last time, he left. _I'll come back, Lacus Clyne. I promise I will pay you proper respect next time._

* * *

Shinn immediately headed for Rey's office, wanting to see the fake Lacus Clyne one more time before going to sleep. 

He couldn't really remember her; she wore...peculiar clothing and was very forward with Athrun, that was all. Why would she work for Chairman Dulllindal in the first place?

Shinn now realized that there were too many things he didn't know behind the scenes. He always followed orders blindlessly, never really asking for the reasons. After Stellar's death, everything seemed to worsen.

_A mindless pawn, that's who I was_, Shinn thought sulkingly.

Therefore, he was quite ready to kick the door open when he saw the office. He didn't get the chance to do that, however, when the door was smacked, open hard. He quickly hid in a corner impulsively.

Lunamaria stormed out of Rey's office, surrounded by an obvious aura of anger, but her face betrayed no emotion still. The fake Lacus was standing behind Rey worriedly, looking lost.

Rey folded his arms calmly, unperturbed by Luna's actions. "Remember what I said, Lunamaria. Do not disappoint me _again_," he stressed the last word menacingly, and she halted abruptly.

"Very well, _sir_," she hissed sarcastically and continued without looking back.

Rey's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing more. With a simple gesture, the fake Lacus followed him down the other hallway like a obedient puppy.

"Luna," Shinn called out to her automatically as she passed by. Her eyes flickered, and he faltered, deciding it would be better to adress her full name instead from now on.

"What is it, Representative?" Her voice showed the slightest hint of fury from whatever conversation she had with Rey before...or was it because what happened this afternoon?

"Look, I-I am really sorry about what happened before," Shinn said sincerely. He swallowed his pride and even bowed his head slightly. It was his fault anyways.

Hearing no reply, he risked a glance at her.

She was staring at him as if he had two heads or something. "You...apologized?" She breathed in wonder. "Why? You never apologized before, never!"

Shinn frowned in bemusement, "Hey, I wasn't that bad, was I?"

"You were," she replied instantly, her face blank again, "Well, at least after...Operation Angel Down."

Shinn gulped down his fear. He didn't really want to hear what other atrocity he had done, but he knew this was the only chance to find out. He must keep her talking.

"What happ- I mean, how did I change?"

At this, her eyes flickered sadly. "You no longer care about anything else. All you wanted was power, and destroy Orb. You stopped listening to reason and let anger control you completely. You've killed so many civilians, Shinn..."

He stumbled backwards, feeling nauseous. "Uh...I-I...w-what did Rey mean by 'disappointing me again'?" Shinn decided to switch the topic. The guilt was too terrible to think about.

Luna's face darkened, "Well, let's just say he thinks I'm going to betray ZAFT again. I don't really care what he thinks of me. Like you, he has changed as well."

She glanced at him almost tentatively. "For a moment there...it was as if you were the old Shinn...huh, must be my imagination."

At that, she walked past him briskly, leaving him to ponder her words.

* * *

Shinn sprawled across his enormous bed, his energy completely spent. His mind quickly went through everything he learned today. So many things he wished to happen occurred not the way he had expected. 

It was only Day One of this Alternate Universe and he was already sick of it.

_The old Shinn... _Luna's words flashed in his mind and he wondered if he would ever tell anyone that he was actually from a different world. He desperatedly wanted everyone to know that he wasn't the monstrous Shinn from this timeline.

_Dammit, headache again..._

Dragging his tired body to the computer, he quickly searched through the archives again, hoping to find something on Athha.

To his surprise, there were no records of her at all, as if she had never existed. It was as if ZAFT wanted to erase her existence...

_Where is she? I must find her!! Surely she's still alive!!_ Shinn recalled what he had seen through Lacus Clyne's eyes. The golden mobile suit. Only Athha would pilot it and protect Orb like that. No, she must be alive, and he must talk to her.

His bitterest enemy...he must find out.

Cursing at his current dilemma, he punched the desk in frustration. By luck, a keycard fell out of the drawer because of the force. When Shinn picked it up quizzically, he stared at the name on the keycard in shock.

**'That Athha'**

It was exactly what was written on it, along with a room number. She was in this very building!! How could that be?!

He quickly located the room using the computer. _The highest floor... inaccessible at night?! Such rule doesn't apply to the Chairman of PLANTS? _

Shinn couldn't believe it. Many things sounded so fishy and confusing, and they were all difficult to find answers to.

Sighing exasperatedly, he slumped onto his comfortable bed, since sleeping was the best option, for now.

* * *

_"Shinn..."_

_"S-Stellar?! What are you doing here?" Shinn gasped in shock, trying to move closer to her, but his body was immobile._

_Stellar was wearing the beautiful blue dress she'd worn when they first met. She smiled at him adorably, and he felt himself smiling back, his heart expanding with love and joy._

_Her magenta eyes then turned serious. __"I came here to tell you something... something you must know...if you ever wish to return..."_

_"Eh? What do you mean?"_

_Stellar went on, a pained look flashed on her face briefly. It was as if it hurt her to speak-_

_"You must obtain three things... a physical material of utmost value from an enemy... a mental bridge of understanding with restless peace...an emotional gift from an irreplaceable friend..."_

_"Huh?! Stellar, what do you mean-" Shinn was bemused. Stellar speaking in riddles? Ridiculous!_

_"You must find out on your own...otherwise, you could never return," she winced and bit her lips._

_How Shinn wanted to hug her then, to offer comfort to whatever's hurting her. _

_"Also, remember...your worst enemy...is yourself..."_

_"Myself?" He repeated quizzically._

_She gazed at him sadly, her body slowly changing into a blinding light. __"I'm sorry Shinn...this is all I can tell you...Good luck."_

_"Wait, Stellar-!!!"_

* * *

Shinn sprang up from his bed and lunged forward, only to hit the floor rather painfully. Shaking his head in frustration, he was saddened that it was only a dream. 

Or was it?

He glanced around quickly. _Huh, still in this 'Alternate Universe'... damn it. Stellar...what was it you really wanted to tell me? TO return? Does that mean I can return to the other world?_

Glancing at the clock, he sighed in relief, seeing it was only 6:30 am. He still had time to go see Athha before going to those ridiculously dull meetings. He recalled how stressed Athha seemed as the Representative of Orb. Perhaps he might even sympathize with her now that he was in her position? _Huh, sympathize with Athha. Impossible._

Shaking his head irritably, he was starting to reconsider Rey's advice to see a doctor. Those frequent headaches...surely he didn't have a sickness or something?

_I'll think about Stellar's riddles later. Now, Athha._

He arrived at the top floor in record time, dashing towards a very conspicuous white door. Looking around to check for unwanted personnels (there were none), Shinn eagerly swiped the keycard on the security system.

He had expected another set of hallways or some kind of rooms behind the white door.

But all he saw was a flash of very, very angry and feral amber eyes.

_THUD_

And he blacked out.

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End of Chapter 2

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**A/N:** (dancing in joy) YES!! All tests are over!! Now that the stress factor is gone, I should eb able to work on my stories (hopefully)(shifty eyes) Anyways, the plot just got more confusing, yes? Again, readers are experiencing the confusion Shinn has, so don't worry, things will get clearer in the future.

Yes, we get to meet dear Cagalli next chapter.

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Please Review!

Athyra


	3. Chapter 3 Mirror Image

_**PAIRINGs:**__Implied Shinn x Luna, Shinn x Stellar, Athrun x Cagalli, Kira x Lacus, Dearka x Miriallia, Yzak x Shiho_

_**SUMMARY: **__When he was given a chance to inflict suffering upon his enemies, Shinn took it without hesitation. As the world turns upside down, he soon discovers the consequences of his actions. In order to return everything to 'normal', he must enlist the help of a bitter Princess, an emotionless Captain and a reluctant songstress's spirit._

_**DISCLAIMER: **__This is a story based on characters and situations from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny._

_**WARNING: **__Text and all related materials are rated __**PG13/T**__ There are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: **__This story starts near the end of Battle of Messiah. After that, the story goes AU, and everything up to 'Operation Angel Down' is true. __Shinn-centric, and mostly in his POV. Remember, everything's different now. Also, beware of STRONG use of language near the end. You've been warned._

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**Chapter 3 Mirror Image**

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Shinn opened his eyes blearily, and regretted his decision instantly. A very intense pain was thumping furiously on his forehead and was, needless to say, the cause of his trip to dreamless-land.

"Shinn, are you alright?" Rey peered down at him, his lips twitching slightly.

He sat up slowly, rubbing his bandaged forehead tenderly. "What happened?"

"The princess knocked you unconscious apparently. With only her fists, and with one hit too."

Shinn glared at his friend, bemused, "Are you making fun of me?"

"No, of course, not. I was merely surprised," the blond's expression was still as stoic as ever, but Shinn thought there was a ghost of a smile on the blond's face. "Well, I suppose we'll have to cancel all your meetings for today. The doctor informed me that had the Princess hit harder, she could've fractured your skull."

"_With her fists_?!" Shinn hissed in disbelief.

"Well, since she probably used her handcuffs..."

_Handcuffs? What handcuffs?! _Shinn was alarmed. Of course, the only reason that know-it-all Athha would stay here would be that...

...she was a prisoner?

"Well, could you cancel the meetings for me, then? I still need to talk to her," Shinn gave Rey a twisted smile. He was half-glad that he didn't have to go to anymore of those tedious meetings.

"Don't be too hard on her," the Chairman of PLANTs said and left the room. "Also, we had given her some sedatives, just in case."

_Too hard on her?! Imprisoned or not, she had no right to hit me like that!! To hell with worrying about her, I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind!_

Carefully, he got out of the bed, trying very hard not to sway. After making sure the hallway was empty, Shinn headed towards Athha's floor as fast as he could. Of course, he wasn't about to show other officers 'Representative Asuka' stumbling like a weakling.

When he opened the door, he carefully jumped backwards as precaution. Seeing no upcoming blows, Shinn walked inside, still on guard.

The room was simple-looking; one table, one bed, a few chairs and a bathroom somewhere. As expected, that even as a prisoner, royalty like Athha still got better treatment than most prisoners.

His curious red eyes ran over some pecuilar looking objects locked at a corner. Shrugging, Shinn turned and saw her.

Cagalli Yula Athha was sitting on a blocky chair, her usually piercing eyes glazed. She was breathing hard, and she seemed unable to move.

Shinn was quite taken aback back her appearance. No matter how much he hated her, she'd always struck him as a fearsome woman. But now, she seemed so fragile and haggard...

There was a handcuff on each of her wrist, but they weren't chained together. Shinn guessed they were probably electromagnetic and would restrict her movements if she were to move too violently.

Her hair was unkempt and uneven, as if someone had cut chunks of it out viciously. She had several healing bruises and some bandaids, but somehow Shinn could tell she had injuries worse than that. He was too surprised for words, and how insignificant his forhead injury seemed...

Her amber eyes caught sight of him and the image of a weak woman was gone instantly.

"You!!" She growled angrily, _actually_ growling like an untamed beast. She struggled ferociously against her invisible chains; a few sparks appeared here and there, signifying the presence of her imprisonment. Shinn was reminded of Stellar when she was imprisoned on Minerva. She gritted her teeth in frustration as her attempts to break free proved to be futile.

"You...how's that bruise on your head coming eh? Did you get a concussion? It's a pity it won't do you more damage to your head, because it's already beyond curing!" She sneered scathingly.

For the first time since this Alternate Universe, Shinn was actually enraged. He lunged for her impulsively. Cagalli, as if this had happened numerous times, was ready and kicked his chest hard once he got into range.

Shinn fell back awkwardly, heavily winded. "Rey told me you were sedated... obviously not enough!"

"Keh, you get used to it after being drugged so many times, you bastard," she spat venomously, glaring at him with such a terrible hatred that Shinn faltered, his anger dissipating.

It was like looking at himself.

Such deep loathing...he had seen it in himself whenever he looked into a mirror. Why was Athha looking at him like that? It was extremely unnerving.

"Why are you here?" He muttered to himself, but Cagalli caught it.

"HA! Why, isn't it all because of you, O-mighty Asuka? Everything's all because of you, _Representative_!" She laughed mockingly.

"Oh yea, blame everything on me!" However, Shinn already suspected that it really was his doing...

"Why the hell not? _You_ blamed everything on _me_!" She snarled darkly, "You blamed my father for your family's death. You blamed me for everything that had happened to Orb. Don't you think I blamed myself for it as well? No one blamed me as much as I blamed myself! I truly regretted everything that had happened, Shinn, but regretting definitely doesn't help, does it?"

Cagalli took a deep breath, and smiled contemptuously, "Of course, in your dictionary, there's no such thing as 'regret'. Just because something bad happened to you in the past doesn't mean you're justified to do the same on others!" She snorted in disgust, "To think I once feel sorry for you!! I even wanted to apologize to you before! Well, are you happy now? Everything went your way, didn't it? You've exacted your revenge on me. Look at yourself; are you satisfied, huh? You're pathetic, Shinn Asuka. How unfortunate your family had you as their family member."

"Shut up, Athha!" His anger was starting to boil again, "Don't mention my family! You don't understand anything!"

"No, _you 're_ the one who understood _nothing_!!" She roared back, struggling even more and causing more sparks. She winced as an electric shock flowed from the handcuffs.

She slumped against the chair, breathing heavily. They glared at each other in silence, unwilling to admit defeat.

"What do you want? Haven't you already done enough?" She asked finally, her voice practically dripping with poison.

"Nevermind," Shinn gritted his teeth, unable to recall why he'd come here in the first place. How dare she insult him using his family?

After awhile, he got bored of her silence. "Oi, Athha, still awake?"

"What?" Her voice was still harsh, but it seemed oddly slurred. The sedative was finally taking effect. _Perhaps now's a good time to ask some questions..._ Shinn decided to put his anger on hold. _Answers are more important._

"What did you mean by ' exacting my revenge on you'? From what I can see, other than being imprisoned, you're still alive!" Shinn recalled his dark rage, vowing to eliminate Athha. Not that he still wanted to kill her or anything...

Her hand twitched. "How dare you ask me that," she whispered angrily, "You took away my remaining family and everyone I love..."

Silence.

"Remaining...family?" Shinn stared in disbelief, feeling his veins turned cold.

Perhaps it was sedative, perhaps it was simply to painful to reminisce, Cagalli broke down.

It was the first time he saw her cry, and he was rather scared for some reason. His hatred for had vanished somewhere and he actually felt sorry for her. Tentatively, he walked closer towards her trembling form, trying to make out her words.

"You...you killed Kira...you killed my brother..."

"Y-you have a brother? Was he a civilian or-?" _Kira? That was the name Lacus Clyne had said..._

She glared at him through her tears and he winced as though he'd been struck physically.

"Freedom's pilot...that was my brother, you asshole... you killed him... you killed him when he was only trying to protect me and Archangel!"

He gulped. "I-I did what I had to do..." he retorted weakly.

"Damn you! You've always wanted to kill him!! I heard you from the open channel...you were laughing...you were laughing at my brother's death!!"

Shinn swallowed hard again.

"He was such a gentle man...so protective and was a real pacifist. He was only fighting becasue he didn't want anymore bloodshed," Cagalli sobbed, "A-and you also killed Lacus, my best friend...when she didn't even do anything wrong! She'd always hated wars, a peaceful, kind person she was. How blind were you people, unable to tell who the real Lacus Clyne was? Of all the supposably elite ZAFT people, why was Lunamaria the only one who knew?"

Shinn blinked. _Eh? Luna? Did Luna...defected to Athha's side or something? Rey did say something about her betraying..._

"You killed so many civilians, so many innocent people... why, Shinn, why do you do it? If you hate how your family died in Onogoro, why did you do the same thing to other people? Why did you make them suffer?"

"Athha..." Shinn tried to justify himself but couldn't. All her words rang true in his heart.

"And most importantly...", her body shivered as she wiped her face wearily. But the tears won't stop. "You killed Athrun..."

Shinn flinched at the mention of his ex-commander's name. _"You killed Athrun and Meyrin!!"_

"A-Athrun...h-he trusted you ZAFT...h-he always had this strong sense of justice...he was always so helpful...so kind...he always comforted me, disregarding his own pain...h-he...was such a wonderful man...I-I..."

"Y-you killed him...Athrun...my fiance... h-how could you...I hate you...I _hate_ you..." At that, she seemed too agonized to speak anymore.

He could only stand there helplessly, watching as drops and drops of tears streamed down her cheeks endlessly.

"Give him back...g-give him back! Athrun...," she sobbed in a prayer-like mantra. Now, she was not the Princess of Orb; she was simply a victim of war who had lost her loved ones. A victim of his rampage.

Gradually, Shinn found strength in his body and he bent down before her.

And hugged her as he used to do to Mayu.

"I'm sorry Athha..." He murmured, still in shock. He stroked her hair gently, cringing as he noticed several scars on her wrists. Did she-?

Cagalli was too tired to push him away. For now, she sobbed in his arms, pretending it was Athrun holding her, not his murderer.

* * *

"Shinn, are you alright? You look dazed," Rey asked calmly, talking to his friend via video transmission. 

"Huh? Yea, just a little tired," he replied half-heartedly.

His mind was still full of the events from yesterday. He couldn't really sleep last night since all he could hear was Athha's cries.

_Her brother...Freedom's pilot...and Athrun, her fiance...gods..._

After he came back to his room, he had immediately searched for interrogation videos and wasn't surprised to find several of them with Athha's name on it.

Shinn shut his eyes, willing the images to fade. He was completely disgusted at himself. How the heck did he even think of those inhuman torturing methods? No wonder Athha hated him! No wonder Luna hated him! Heck, no wonder he hated _himself_ right now!

He had seen his future self for the first time on those videos. A demon he was, with gleaming red eyes, laughing sadistically as Athha screamed in pain. _I have a lot to make up to her...if I can ever make it up, that is..._

Rey looked thoughtful. "About the Princess, Shinn...why don't we stop the interrogation, for now? You've been rather... too vicious towards her," he said carefully.

"Sure, of course. That's fine by me," Shinn responded instantly. He was so sick of himself he could barely move at all. "Why were we interrogating her in the first place?"

"We desperatedly need information on two stolen mobile suits," Rey seemed troubled, "The resistence force in Scandinavia is becoming rather restless. If they were to get hold of those mobile suits..." he shook his head, "Only the Princess knew where they were hidden, as she is the only person with close relations to Terminal we've caught. Of course, I've thought about Lunamaria..."

"No, don't interrogate her as well!"

"I don't intend to," Rey was perlexed at Shinn's behaviour, "Usually, you won't miss the chance of ...hurting her, Shinn."

He winced.

"Well, no matter. It's better this way. I'd rather you stay like this, Shinn. You're less snappy and less...demonic these days."

He was torn. Rey seemed genuinely concerned for him, so who was right? Those on Athha's side or Rey's side?

"What's Lacus doing right now?" Shinn asked, finally sitting up from his bed.

Rey chuckled lightly, "Really, Shinn, you don't have to call her Lacus when we're alone. She preferred to be called by her real name in private."

"Huh?"

"Thought so. Remember, her name is Meer Campbell."

Shinn was surprised; so Rey didn't really lie to him...well, now that he was the Representative of Orb.

"She was preparing her speech right now. Which reminds me, you need to be present as well. Meet me in the conference at 13:40. Don't be late."

Shinn stared blankly at the now dark screen. Now that no one was talking to distract his thoughts, his mind immediately went back to the events in Athha's prison again.

_"I hate you!"_

"I'm sorry, Cagalli."

* * *

He opened his eyes lazily. The man sat up and looked around in confusion. 

"Where the fuck am I? Just lying in the middle of nowhere?" He snarled viciously at several curious wild animals. They fled instantly at his feral voice.

He searched his pockets in great annoyance, punching the ground in anger when he couldn't find his wallet or identification card.

"What the fuck's going on? That bitch Lunamaria better not have anything to do with it...I know for sure she's behind this! She has to be! She's been wanting to get rid of me for months, that traitorous slut!" His slitting eyes glinted darkly.

"No matter, I'll just have to find my way back. There' nothing I can't do," he smirked arrogantly. "Really, Lunamaria. If you think you or your cronies can bring me down like this, you're gravely mistaken! After all, I've taken down both Freedom and that Zala! I've conquered Orb and destroyed Lacus Clyne and her followers! Huh, even if you aren't the one who did this to me, I'll still make you scream in pain again, no matter what," he licked his lips and chortled madly.

His demonic red eyes searched the forest around him.

The man got up and started his journey back home, determined to inflict pain upon whoever did this to him.

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End of Chapter 3

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**A/N:** Man, an extremely difficult chapter to write. I almost killed Shinn myself while writing this chapter... More shall be revealed next chapter as we learn more about the resistance force and what really happened during the Battle of Orb.

Oh about what happened near the end? Who knows? You'll just have to read and find out! Another character shall be returning next chapter, guess who?

Have a Happy summer!

Oh, leave a review, if you will **:D**

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Athyra


	4. Chapter 4 A Forgiving Heart

_**PAIRINGs:**__Implied Shinn x Luna, Shinn x Stellar, Athrun x Cagalli, Kira x Lacus, Dearka x Miriallia, Yzak x Shiho_

_**SUMMARY: **__When he was given a chance to inflict suffering upon his enemies, Shinn took it without hesitation. As the world turns upside down, he soon discovers the consequences of his actions. In order to return everything to 'normal', he must enlist the help of a bitter Princess, an emotionless Captain and a reluctant songstress's spirit._

_**DISCLAIMER: **__This is a story based on characters and situations from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny._

_**WARNING: **__Text and all related materials are rated __**PG13/T**__ There are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: **__This story starts near the end of Battle of Messiah. After that, the story goes AU, and everything up to 'Operation Angel Down' is true. __This fic is in Shinn's POV, remember._

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**Chapter 4 A Forgiving Heart**

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After the speech, Shinn found himself walking along the beach, staring at the memorial plate in the distance.

Talking to Meer Campbell in person was unnerving. Compared to the image of sad, forlorn Lacus Clyne, Meer seemed ridiculously out of place, too bubbly to be the songstress of PLANTs. How the heck did she fool all the citizens?

Then again, Shinn himself was tricked before.

The world was in peace now, and he had avenged his family. Then why did his heart still feel so ill?

Was it knowing that he had killed his friend and mentor? Was it knowing he had killed countless innocent citiznes? Was it... seeing Athha's devastated state?

Before he realized it, he was standing in front of the memorial. He prayed that she would be here. She must be. She may be the only one who would understand his situation.

His prayers were answered when a soft voice entered his mind.

"Why have you returned, Shinn Asuka?"

Lacus 'stood' in front of him, not smiling but not frowning either. She was merely looking at him, waiting for him to answer. Shinn knew the kindhearted songstress was the only one he could pour his secret to - that she wouldn't judge him or jump into conclusions.

"Look, I k-ki...I took your life, along with many other people's lives, and I know you wouldn't want to listen to me explain or anything but... will you listen...will you hear me out?" Shinn barely managed to speak.

The way Lacus stare at him was painfully familiar - his mother would stare at him while he explained he didn't mean to play pranks on Mayu or messing up the garden. Such familiarity, no matter how strange, was enough to give him the courage to continue.

He told Lacus everything that had happened in his own timeline. How he made that stupid wish and how he ended up here, confused and lost. He also decided to tell her that at first, he was smug at his own doings.

"But now you feel rather guilty," she finished for him.

Nodding tiredly, he sat down with his head bowed. Lacus was quiet for a long time. Of course, who would've believed something so outlandish? Still, it felt good to get it off his chest.

"I believe you."

"Yea, I know it sounds ridiculous but...wait, did you just say you believe me?"

She nodded slowly. "I do not know why, though. But I can feel your emotions somehow and... you're not lying."

Shinn felt so relieved that he almost wanted to laugh, laughing hysterically just for the heck of it. "Thank you." It felt strange to thank someone, but he was in a situation where pride didn't matter.

Lacus let a ghost of smile pass her lips. "You've never really thank anyone before, have you?"

Okay, he was starting to get creeped out. "W-what... can you like, read my mind or something?"

"It is something similar, like there is a connection between us. But, only if anger and hatred are not clouding your thoughts."

_Connection._ Then Shinn remembered what Stellar told him, but he wasn't ready to tell anyone about Stellar yet. He can't.

"Anger and hatred, huh. Have you ever hated so much that it hurts? So much that you're unable to think about anything else. Hatred is the only thing in your mind, and you just want to blame someone. To find an outlet for your hatred and anger," Shinn said quietly, struggling to convey his feelings into words. Surely someone as sophisticated and angelic as Lacus Clyne wouldn't know the pain of hatred?

The ghost smiled sadly. "I know, Shinn. I'm not as angelic as you think. I was just a human, like yourself."

"How did you-?" Right, the connection. "Well, what...what made you hate?" He asked weakly.

She closed her eyes, and suddenly Shinn was looking at her memories through her eyes.

_"Murdoch, anyone, open the hatch and get him out, please!!" Cagalli shouted hoarsely, tears streaming down her eyes as she helplessly kneeled in front of a heap of unrecognizable metal. It looked like a mobile suit's torso._

_Shinn, or Lacus to be exact, walked towards her slowly, her heart thumping loudly against her ribs._

_When the cockpit was opened forcefully, the mechanic, as carefully as he could, pulled a limp body out and laid him on the floor. It was a young man, hardly older than Athrun._

_"Kira!!" Cagalli cried in fear, running towards him. Lacus swayed slightly, but she composed of herself and knelt down besdies him._

_Kira opened his eyes, groaning weakly. Blood was everywhere, sliding down his cheek and staining his torn pilot suit. "La...cus...Ca...ga...a...lli..." His voice was so light she could barely hear anything._

_He lifted his hand with great effort, and Lacus quickly held it, caressing it softly. But she knew that he couldn't feel it. _

_"I...can't...see...why...can't I see...where..."_

_"Kira!" Cagalli and Lacus quickly made way for another girl, who was followed by several people carrying a stretcher. They lifted him up onto it, but Lacus still held his hand._

_"Protect...Orb...Caga...lli...you...must..."_

_"Hush, don't waste your strength speaking. I promise you'll be fine. We're gonna get you better," Cagalli bit her lips, trembling as she softly caressed his hair._

_"La..cus...I'm...sorry..."_

_Cagalli's hand stilled. And Lacus felt her heart stop. His hand went limp in hers. His eyes stared blankly into the ceiling. _

_She could barely hear Cagalli's mournful cries. She could barely feel anything. She felt empty._

_"Please let go, Lacus-san," the other girl tugged at her hand gently. "But, Miriallia-san..." Lacus didn't even have the strength to protest. Kira's arm fell limply, and Lacus felt a part of her broke. Like something was cut off._

_She stared at him as though she had never seen him before. With great pain, she forced herself to reach out and close his eyes._

_Forever._

_During the brief contact, Lacus felt nothing. The connection had vanished. His body was still warm, but Kira was long gone. As she watched them carry his body away, something began to burn in her stomach. Shinn knew instantly what it was. Hatred. Hatred to whoever was responsible for his death._

Shinn blinked rapidly, and looked up to see Lacus gazing at him rather calmly.

"I'm sorry," he said simply, but he meant it too. It was so similar to when Stellar died...he completely understood Lacus's anger and pain.

She shook her head, "I was angry, Shinn. I became even angrier when Eternal was destroyed - I just wanted to fight to avenge my friends. But, before I died..." Shinn shuddered at her nonchalant-way of speaking of her own death, "I realized something.

"No matter how much I hated ZAFT for taking away my precious family, they will not come back. Even...even if I avenged them... that would only cause more hatred. And..." She smiled sadly, "it would only taint their memories, of what Kira and the others died fighting for."

Her words hit him hard. Mayu and his parents died believing in Orb, yet he had vowed to destroy the country they loved. _What have I been doing?_

"Also, I saw, or rather, felt your pain when your memory of Stellar rushed into my mind."

Shinn was silent, ignoring the painful images in his mind. He knew Lacus was the only one who can help him now.

"L-Lacus-san, could you tell me everything that had happened after ... after Operation Angel Down?"

She turned away from him, as if not wanting to look at him while she talked. "Alright. I came back to Earth secretively shortly before the battle in Berlin, for... certain matters. After ZAFT almost sank Archangel, I've decided some things can no longer wait. I contacted the Eternal concerning certain shipments, and found out they'd already been 'dropped' onto Earth, somewhere safe. But Eternal was discovered by ZAFT space fleets and was destroyed not long after."

Lacus took a deep breath. Shinn vaguely remembered, in his timeline, the Eternal escaped destruction because Kira was there to save them...

"Cagalli and I were planning how to make our next move when another horrible news reached us: Athrun tried to defect ZAFT but was shot down. We never found his body. Cagalli was... devastated...no, words alone cannot describe her feelings."

Shinn endured jabs of guilt at his conscience.

"While we were still hiding, biding our time and heal from our losses, a girl named Lunamaria arrived near our base, looking for us. She was piloting the Impulse at the time, and we weren't very welcoming at all, given the circumstanes. We captured her and questioned her, Cagalli and I. Cagalli remembered seeing her on the Minerva. Lunamaria explained that she could no longer stand the way ZAFT was handling things, not after her sister and Athrun were wrongfully killed. She knew who the real Lacus Clyne was, but she'd always thought ZAFT had their reason for using an imposter. We weren't sure about trusting her, but she gave us a very important news - Djibril was hiding on Orb, and of course, we flew back to Onogoro to defend it."

_So, that's how Luna defected..._

"However, the combined forces of the Alliance and ZAFT were too much. Archangel sank and Orb was taken over. And that's when my memory ended."

Shinn swallowed hard, forcing himself to look up, "When I destroyed the Orb control center...right?"

Lacus neither frowned nor smiled. She continued in a detached fashion, "When I regained consciousness again, I was rather surprised to find myself on this beach. Alone. It was then I understood I didn't really pass on. Something prevented me. I'm neither alive nor dead... you were the first person I've talked to in a long time, Shinn," she closed her eyes and reopend them several moments later.

"From bits and pieces of conversations I heard from soldiers walking throught the beach, I manage to piece together what happened after I died. Cagalli and Lunamaria, along with some remnants of Orb Military, escaped to Scandinavia. Djibril had successfully escaped to his base on the moon, and wiped out half the population in PLANTs, Chairman Dullindal included. However the Minerva made a swift counterattack and the last LOGOs member was finally taken down. Destiny Plan was introduced and...this is my assumption. Some people within the ZAFT military did not agree with Destiny Plan and joined forces with Cagalli and Lunamaria. However, their Resistence was easily suppressed by Neo Genesis."

She looked directly in his eyes, "Lunamaria was captured and her former teammates gave her a pardon. The new Chairman, Rey, and the new leader of Orb, the other _Shinn_," Shinn felt a sudden burst of anger at the other _Shinn_, the bastard who turned into a demon.

"I don't know their reason for letting her off, let alone making her the captain of Neo Minerva. The surviving members of the Resistence now hides somewhere around the world. No one knows what happened to Princess Cagalli - until you told me."

"The Resistence...," Shinn muttered the unfamliar name, surprised at the feeling of hope in his chest. Why hope?

"Shinn, about Cagalli... how is she-" Lacus asked, after a long silence.

Shinn's cellphone suddenly rang, interrupting their conversation. He received a message from Rey, who told him to go to his office immediately. Shinn was half-relieved, glad to have a break from all the shocking information.

"I promise I'll come back, Lacus-san. I swear. Athha is...I'll try to do something about it, but I can't promise anything. However, I-I'll try to do whatever I can to redeem myself. Thank you for... understanding me."

"I know you will, Shinn." Lacus was not smiling, but her eyes held no disdain either.

* * *

"Shinn, I'm assigning you to go to Scandinavia. Our intelligence has reported sightings of certain Resistence leaders there. Captain Hawke will accompany you," at that, Rey's cold blue eyes held a cunning glint. "I know you're Head of Orb, but you're still first and foremost an Executive of our Council. I'm counting on you." 

Shinn accepted his mission without any complaints. He desperatedly wanted to clear up things between him and his magenta-haired friend.

A frightened low-ranked soldier showed him the way to his room in Neo Minerva. Shinn used to revel in looks of fear from others but now, he was sick of it. He was not a fricking monster, damn it!!

He pratically hid in his room even after the ship had set sail. He almost imagined Meyrin's voice over the announcement system, or Athrun's kind yet stern voice telling him to get his act together. Right, those two no longer existed in this universe.

He probably took a long nap or something because when he woke up, an unfamiliar voice anounced that they were almost near Finisiere Base in France. He shot off the bed and quickly walked towards the Captain's office. He didn't know whether it would work or not, he had to at least try.

Hopefully Luna will be as understanding as Lacus.

Again, in his haste, he forgot to knock on the door. The guards outside the door didn't even dare to stop him and they quickly scuttled out of sight.

Words died in his throat when she walked out of the shower, a towel wrapped around her slim body. She froze when she spotted him. Rather than screaming at him as he expected, she quickly glanced at the gun on her table and then stared at him...

In fear?

Shinn quickly turned around, feeling the blood rush to his face. Wait, what was that he saw?

"L-Luna, how did you get that scar on your neck?"

He heard frantic rustling sound and something clicking behind him. To his surprise, he felt something cold against his neck. He slowly turned around and was met with the dark barrel of a gun.

"Don't act like you don't know," Luna whispered coldly. She carefully rearranged her long hair to cover up the scar. The towel lied discarded on the floor, as she had put on her uniform hastily.

Shinn gulped and replied as calmly as he could. "I truly don't know, Lunamaria," he thought about it for awhile, "It was the other...it was me, wasn't it?"

His suspicion was confirmed as Luna nodded slowly, her angry eyes never leaving his.

"Tell me, what are you doing here, Representative?"

"I just want to ask you something. Will you tell me about all the things I did to you after you uh, returned to ZAFT?"

As soon as words left his mouth, he knew he made a mistake. Pain and fear flashed in her eyes and her finger twitched on the trigger.

"Why?! Just so you can have the pleasure of hearing it from your victim?" There it was again, that vengeful tone in her voice. "Right, how could I forget? You enjoy seeing people terrified of you, no matter by what method, don't you? You made sure I never forget how wrong it was to betray ZAFT."

He glanced at the place where her hair covered her scar, wondering how in the world his other self had done it. Athha and Freedom's pilot were different, but a former teammate? Not to mention, the sister of someone his other self had killed.

_I can't tell her. She hates 'Shinn' too much. _He chickened out. There was no way he could tell Luna what he told Lacus.

"Nevermind," Shinn mumbled, walking towards the door. Truthfully, he was rather hurt by her distrust. Even though they had a large distance between them now, Luna's gun was still pointed at him.

"Whatever it was I did to you, I'm sorry," Shinn stared at her in the eye, noticing the confusion on her face.

She lowered the gun hesitantly, her leg shifted as if to move towards him. "Shinn-?"

That tone. There was barely a hint of hatred in it. It was like the Luna he remembered-

But the moment was evanescent, and the door slid shut.

* * *

After they arrived at the base, Shinn managed to maintain a neutral behaviour when the administrator there welcomed their ship. He barely paid any attention to all the formalities, as he kept glancing at Luna. His former friend was determined to ignore him, and he was too afraid to approach her. He really didn't want to hear her hateful voice directed at him. 

"Would you like to tour around our facilities, Representative Asuka?"

Shinn snapped back into focus, and glared at the ordinary-looking official. Short but bulky, the man had an ordinary face and an ordinary voice. It was hard to imagine someone like this to be in charge of a ZAFT Base.

_Remember, Destiny Plan. This man is chosen for his abilities, nothing else. Genetically, he must be the one most suited for this job. _

"No thanks. I'm rather tired from the trip," Shinn growled irritably. The man sensed Shinn's annoyance and showed him to his room hurriedly.

From what he gathered, they will rest before going to investigate the reported area tomorrow. He was glad to have his alone time. Everything seemed so alienated that he wasn't too enthusiastic at acquainting with anyone in this fake world.

_Yea, fake world. This isn't ... real. _He tried to convince himself with no success.

He happened to look out the window, wanting to compare the view with Orb's. By chance, he spotted Luna walking out the building. Curious, he quickly found the vice-captain (a tall man with a scar) and found out Luna had left all the work to him.

Shinn frowned. Something wasn't right. He tried to find her, and it was probably luck that he spotted her sneaking out of the base.

After like two to three hours of hiking on rough terrain, Luna finally stopped. Suddenly, before Shinn could do anything, a man shot out from the shadow and pointed the gun at her temple.

Her reaction? Rolling her eyes.

"Really, is this the way to greet your top agent?"

The man put the gun back into its holster and shrugged good-naturedly. "Just thought I might get to see you scared for once. You just don't change your expression, Captain."

She glared at him, "You know how much I hate being threatened, especially by a gun."

"Right. Sorry," he sounded sincere, but the smirk was still apparent on his face.

"Besides, I could say the same to you. You may laugh, you may grin, but your eyes are always the same."

The amused tone was gone from the man's voice, replaced by an even, cool voice. "So, what news did you bring?"

Luna flipped her hair in annoyance, "Are you sure you want to discuss that here, out in the open?"

"I'm sure, Luna. It'll be easier for bugs like him to eavesdrop on, right?"

Shinn found himself dragged forward suddenly by two other men, and was shoved towards Luna.

"You-" Her eyes widened in shock and alarm, her hand moved to her gun instantly.

The man's expression only showed mild surprise. "I should have known." The air around him changed. His purple-grey eyes glared at Shinn venomously. "Well, well, what do we have here, the mighty ace of ZAFT?"

First thing he did? Punch Shinn in the face.

"Calm down, Luna. I'll take care of it."

"Stop it, Dearka. Someone else may be in the area."

"Cheh, as careful as ever, aren't you, Luna?" Dearka spat disdainfully, but he let Shinn go. Such sudden reception ignited his old personality - Shinn was about to fight back when he was punched again. "Tsk, and just after I let you go too." The man named Dearka punched Shinn once more, the force so powerful that he was sent sprawling on the ground. Blood dripped down his nose and he wiped it away angrily.

"Really, Dearka, you want all your previous efforts to go to waste?" Luna sighed exasperatedly.

"This bastard, he killed Miriallia," he appeared not to have heard her, "He killed them all and had the galls to show up in this place..."

_Miriallia...the girl from Lacus-san's memory? Right. The other me shot down Archangel..._

"Do you know what my former captain slash best friend would say, Asuka?" Dearka held Shinn up by his collar and grinned humorlessly. "_'He's right, Hawke, we can't let him go now that he's seen us. This motherfucking son of a bitch should've died long ago.'_ You know what? I agree with him."

Shinn was trying his best to defend himself from the consecutive punches, but Dearka's rage was too much. Luna looked like she wanted to intervene, but old hatred flickered in her eyes and she stepped back.

"Dearka, please stop. Killing him doesn't solve anything," a meek yet fearless voice said. Dearka snorted but dropped him. Shinn glared at Luna, "Thanks for the help."

She shrugged indifferently, "You deserved it." Though she did glance over at his heavily bruised face.

_If she said so, I probably deserved it. But still, technically, it wasn't me who had done all those deeds_..., Shinn thought irritably. He regarded the stranger with curiosity. _She can't walk...? _

Obviously it was the case, since the woman was sitting on a wheelchair. Her eyes were closed by a single vicious scar marring her dainty face. Dearka sighed.

"I heard that. Might I remind you, I'm still capable of moving by myself," she said in annoyance and pushed the control forward so she was now in front of Luna.

"I thought I heard your voice, Luna. Why are you here?" Her voice carried a hint of nervousness.

Luna glanced at Shinn and answered carefully, "The Chairman sent us here to...inspect the area, Shiho."

"I see..."

"Huh, inspect what area? I say we just kill him already. That would save us the trouble," Dearka snarled. "Why don't we just torture him until he tells us the Princess's whereabouts?"

_Princess...does he mean Cagalli? Like Lacus-san said, they really_ _don't know..._

When Luna and Shiho didn't answer, Dearka smirked darkly and punched Shinn again. He stumbled backwards at the sudden blow, and felt someone binding his arms tight.

"I welcome you to our base, Respresentative Asuka," the blond man's gleeful smile was the last thing Shinn saw before he was blindfolded.

He relied on his other senses as he was dragged somewhere, presumably to a more preferable location. He guessed Shiho was wheeling somewhere in front of him, talking quietly with Dearka.

He let out a shuddering sigh, not wanting to appear scared. But in reality, he was terrified - seeing what _Shinn_ did to the victims, he wouldn't be surprised at the inhuman interrogation methods that awaited him. His head was ringing and stinging, the damage Dearka had given was finally starting to surface.

Someone put their hand on his shoulder gently. But just as Shinn started to relax under the soft contact, the hand pulled away abruptly.

Shinn didn't understand how, but his instinct told him it was Lunamaria.

-

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End of Chapter 4

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**A/N:** I apologize for the late update. For some reason, my inspiration for this fic disappeared when summer started. And now that school started, I'm inspired to write again...sigh. This fic was born from pressure after all... This chapter was supposed to end with Shinn and Lacus's conversation but since I haven't updated in so long...

I hope the conversation between Shinn and Lacus is realistc.

Dearka will be rather OOC in this story. He will act like Yzak, perhaps in the memory of his best friend and war comrade. Shiho's injuries were resulted from cracked helmet and stray radiation from Neo Genesis, which disabled the use of her legs.

The Other Shinn will be addressed to as '_Shinn'_ from now on, so you know which Shinn I'm talking about. (And I won't get too confused myself)

(Did anyone watch Gundam 00? It seems decent.)

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

Athyra


	5. Chapter 5 The Only Hope

_**PAIRINGs:**__Implied Shinn x Luna, Shinn x Stellar, Athrun x Cagalli, Kira x Lacus, Dearka x Miriallia, Yzak x Shiho_

_**SUMMARY: **__When he was given a chance to inflict suffering upon his enemies, Shinn took it without hesitation. As the world turns upside down, he soon discovers the consequences of his actions. In order to return everything to 'normal', he must enlist the help of a bitter Princess, an emotionless Captain and a reluctant songstress's spirit._

_**DISCLAIMER: **__This is a story based on characters and situations from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny._

_**WARNING: **__Text and all related materials are rated __**PG13/T**__ There are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: **__This story starts near the end of Battle of Messiah. After that, the story goes AU, and everything up to 'Operation Angel Down' is true. __This fic is in Shinn's POV, remember._

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**Chapter 5 The Only Hope**

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"Alright you scum, here's what we'll do with you," Dearka said cheerfully, slamming his hands down on what was presumably a metal chair.

The leaders of the Resistence had been murmuring amongst themselves as soon as Shinn was brought inside their base. He didn't have to hear them to know what they were discussing - his fate.

He had absolutely no idea where he was, and the only thing that kept him from falling unconscious was the constant pain. Every now and then some of the members would come up to him and kick him hard and spit on him, even.

Through their dark curses, he knew that he had either killed their families or betrayed their trust. But one thing he heard made his will to fight back dim out.

The Resistence from Gulnahan. The very group that ZAFT, that Shinn himself had freed from the Earth Alliance. Remnants of this group had joined this united Resistence Dearka now led, as the rest of the members were enslaved under the Destiny Plan.

Shinn vaguely thought of Conille, the little girl who had laughed and smiled at him gratefully after ZAFT's successful mission. She had trusted ZAFT to bring them freedom, but he had let them down. How was she doing under the restrictions of Destiny Plan? How desperately she had pleaded ZAFT for their help then. The very mission was also when Athrun was-

A dull pang smarted in his heart, hurting more than the bruises and his shattered pride. If only he can end it all, just let them take his life-

But it was the coward's way out. He had a job. A job to set things right.

"Is it really necessary, Dearka?"

"Don't argue with me on this one Shiho. The counsel has decided," Dearka snapped impatiently, but immediately his voice softened guiltily, "Sorry, Shiho, but you know I'm right. We must make him suffer for what he has done."

"Then what? The ZAFT ship is near, and if he doesn't return soon, we'll be the first ones to be suspected!"

"Oh he'll return alright... just not yet," Dearka chuckled insidiously, "We can't let him go back and have him bring back his little troops now can we? We don't want to make Luna's job more difficult."

Silence. Shinn shifted restlessly in the cold chair he was bounded to, still blindfolded and with metal cuffs clasped around his wrists.

"It's agreed then. _Representative_ Asuka, we're offering you a little bargain here," Shinn felt the older man's hand gripping his shoulder savagely, "We will not kill you, and in return, you will tell us everything you know. Standard trade, isn't it? But first thing first, of course."

Shinn heard many people leaving the room and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

"You're not staying Luna?" Dearka sounded surprised.

A pair of shoesteps stopped abruptly. After a painfully long pause, the sound of the steps resumed and grew more distant.

"I don't want to watch. Or hear anything," came her oddly-sounding voice, "I despise threats no matter what the circumstances are."

"But, I thought you, of all the people, would want to-"

"Get back at him? Inflict the pain he had done onto me? No, I'd rather not become like him," she hissed disdainfully, and the door slammed shut.

Dearka didn't answer. He too moved towards the door and called back loudly, "If I remember correctly, Respresentative, your fondest method of interrogating was electrocution isn't it? Not strong enough to kill, but certainly enough for the victim to want to die instead. Well, have fun."

Before he could even comprehend Dearka's speech, a searing sting overwhelmed his senses and he felt his nerves would simply burst from the shock and agony.

All he could hear was his own screams reverating in the empty room. It wasn't like a visible wound, that one would just bleed and the pain would lessen in time; it wasn't like a broken bone, that one would pass out eventually and be spared of the pain.

But this...the sheer magnitude of the pain was so raw that he didn't even have the chance to faint.

It was an endless cycle of torment. A purgatory.

* * *

_"Shinn."_

_He felt his lips curve up into a gentle smile. "Hey, Stellar. Am I... finally free?"_

_She shook her head sadly, "No, not yet. You haven't undone your mistakes yet."_

_"Mistakes huh. To... return? To return to my real world, if I fix everything?" Shinn struggled to understand, trying to remember what she had told him before._

_Stellar flinched as if in pain. "I don't have much time, Shinn... I don't know if I can speak to you again. Please remember, you must obtain three things in order to return to the exact place where you came from: a physical material of utmost value from an enemy... a mental bridge of understanding with restless peace...an emotional gift from an irreplaceable friend..."_

_"The bridge part... is it Lacus Clyne?"_

_Nodding lightly, Stellar continued, "Yes, but I can't tell you anything else, as you must discover it yourself... I can only give you one more hint... Lunamaria, she must be on your side... you must win back her trust...she's the only one who can help you now..."_

_"Luna...?" Shinn whispered the name almost in bewilderment._

_"My time is up..." Stellar smiled at him lovingly and her body became more and more translucent-_

* * *

Shinn was not ready to feel his aching body yet, such earthly sensations that cruelly reminded of the reality and his responsibility. He didn't recall passing out; how did he get the chance to? Did they stop the electricity or something? Why, especially when their grudge was so powerful? 

His eyes were still closed, his breathing still even, and he would have fallen back asleep if it weren't for the presence besides him.

Continuing his relaxed stance, Shinn extended his senses, and immediately he realized his blindfold was off. His limbs felt heavy but unbound. Then, there was this soothing caress on his injured cheek. Someone was rubbing it with cotton.

Without opening his eyes, he raised his hand against his muscles' protests, and covered the person's hand with his own.

He slowly opened his eyes and, as he suspected, he found Luna staring at him with with an unreadable expression.

Their eyes met and Shinn felt her relief, which was brusquely replaced by confusion and she pulled her hand away, dropping the reddish cotton. Shinn's hand fell tiredly onto the metal chair with a light thud.

"Why are you doing this, Luna?" He asked softly. Her hand clenched and unclenched, but she remained silent.

_Despite everything the other me had done to her, she still cared for me... on some level. I must take this chance. I must win back her trust._

"I'm going to tell you something, Luna, something extraordinary, something so ridiculously outrageous that even I have a hard time believing this. But please listen..."

With her head bent and her hair obscuring her face, he couldn't really tell what she was thinking, but he had faith in her. Just as he had faith in her in the other universe, and perhaps...

No, it was not the time to let other emotions come through and make it even more complicated. He began to tell her everything just as he did to Lacus, but in a different approach, concentrating more on their days in ZAFT (leaving out the parts of his relationship with the other Luna, of course).

Her hand twitched when he mentioned 'the other universe', but she looked up involuntarily when he said that Meyrin and Athrun were still alive, in the other world.

"And in the end, we lost. The Triple Alliance destroyed the Messiah. Yet here I am, on a completely different path, a path I no longer desire. Will you help me..." Shinn paused momentarily, then added, "please?"

It was natural that she appeared dumbfounded. Anyone would, after hearing such a tale. She looked so lost, her eyes no longer veiled but showed all her emotions just as it used to. She took a few steps back slowly, as if his very presence repelled her.

"You're insane."

He tried not to let his exasperation show, and his hope was slowly deflating. "I'm telling the truth, Luna-"

"Don't call me that!" She shouted harshly, "Don't-don't try to act all friendly and try to manipulate with the past! What you did was unforgivable, not just to me and the Resistence, but to the whole world. The Destiny Plan has chained us all."

"Then I'll break free," Shinn said firmly, and he meant it too. He no longer wished to be bounded by his terrible past. Luna was taken aback by his answer, unable to relate the man before her to the demonic _Shinn_ she knew.

"How do I know it's not another trick? How do I know you're not lying, Shinn? You're a good actor, I know that. You've lied so many times before, and I was such a gullible fool to fall for your lies again and again." Her voice was trembling, half pleading and half spiteful.

Shinn winced at her distrust. Lacus can feel his thoughts and therefore knew he wasn't lying. How can he prove this to Luna?

"I know where Athha is. And only Rey and I can see her. If you'll let me, we'll both go back and free her."

Luna was visibly shocked by this revelation. Shinn continued, "I've also spoken to Lacus and again, it sounds crazy, but it's true, I can prove it to you. I need your help to return to the other world and if it's not possible, I want to change this world for the better, at least."

"I-"

"Remember the day I visited you and talked about Meyrin? I didn't know about her because as far as I know, she was still alive. Luna, am I really that similar to the Shinn who made you suffer?" He bit his lips hard, as he was actually afraid of her answer. _Have I always been such a monster? Was the other Luna simply too lenient of my behavior?_

"You... you do seem like a different person Shinn. It was as if you were the one I was friends with long ago," she commented hesitantly, "I really don't know what to do about...about this. I guess I-"

Shinn held his breath, praying and hoping. She sighed heavily.

"I'll try to persuade Dearka and the rest. I'm willing to take this gamble, if everything you said is true but," her eyes narrowed in warning, "I'll be watching you. If you do anything suspiscious, I _will_ kill you, agreed?"

Shinn gulped at her unwavering glare, but his confidence was restored at her voluntary bet.

"Agreed."

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" 

"I want to confirm something. You shouldn't talk until we arrive, Shinn. There are many guards with their guns pointed at you," Luna stated evenly.

Dearka, after Shiho and Luna's incessant persuasion, had relented and stopped Shinn's interrogation. Shiho and Dearka trusted Luna completely, and Shinn was allowed certain freedom, as long as he was constantly guarded and blindfolded.

It was still difficult to ignore the rebel's hatred, though. The only thing that kept him going was the flicker of hope that he might return to the rightful place.

"We're here. You may leave." Shinn sighed in relief at the distinctive sound of boots walking away. Really, he was tired of having to rely on his hearing for his very survival. He cringed inwardly at the thought, reminded of the woman named Shiho. _I'm fortunate, I can still use my legs and I'm not permanently blind._

He was somewhat surprised to feel the handcuffs taken off him and the blindfold. He rubbed his wrists half-heartedly, glancing at Luna, who merely nodded and pointed ahead.

Shinn turned around and a strange lump was caught in his throat. They were in a mass graveyard, and he was directly in front of a particular grave.

**Athrun Zala**

**( C.E. 55 - C.E. 74)**

**Caring, truthful and admirable**

**Fought and died for his beliefs**

**Hero of the Jachin Due**

"Meyrin was buried in PLANTs, but they weren't going to give Athrun the same privilege," Luna whispered sadly, "Yzak-san managed to recover his body and buried him here, and vowed to return him to his homeland, with his mother and their comrades. But, Yzak-san perished in the war as well, and Dearka became the only surviving member of the former 'Creuset Team'. _'I always thought I would be the first one to die yet, I'm the only one left'_, he said. He swear that he will continue to guard this grave until he can fulfill Yzak-san's promise."

Shinn felt his strength gave out beneath him and he kneeled in front of the grave, staring at his former mentor's name blankly.

_"You probably thought 'if only I had power back then, I'd be able to protect them'. But once you obtain power, you will be the one to make others cry. Remember that, Shinn."_

"So I did, Athrun. I made countless others cry because I can't control the power," Shinn murmured, gazing at the grave as if he could actually see the blunette, his serious green eyes chastisizing him.

He remembered being so angry at the older man, angry at his supposed betrayal. Shinn was merely a soldier, he was just following an order, but had he really wanted to kill Meyrin and Athrun?

Had he really wanted to murder the man who was like a brother to him?

Shinn looked over his shoulder at hearing Luna's gasp. She was staring at him with surprise.

"You... you're crying..."

"I am?" Shinn chuckled inwardly. Funny how much he'd been crying these days without even noticing it. It was instinctive, to mourn and to regret. It seemed that no matter in what universe, he always ended up crying uncontrollably about something

"Very well then, Shinn. So far, you have never shed tears to deceive me, because you simply couldn't. So... I'll trust you, for now."

"Thank you, Luna," he wiped his cheeks hastily, suddenly embarrassed at exposing too much of his emotions. She tensed voluntarily, but then she smiled lightly at his action.

The two paid their respect to the fallen soldiers, and Shinn slowly got up, making yet another promise.

_I won't disappoint you this time, Athrun. I will not destroy the future anymore. So watch over us, and give us the strength we need._

"Luna, there's something I want to know about. The Resistence has the element of surprise and, even without Athha, you can still fight back, but why-"

"Destiny and Legend," Luna's eyes darkened considerably, "There are no known mobile suits that can even touch those two legendaries. It truly is suicide to just go up against them. Dearka is a great pilot, but his Blaze Zaku Phantom is no match for Destiny, and my Impulse is confisticated. Which is exactly why we need Cagalli. She alone knows the whereabouts of Lacus-sama's last gifts. We don't know what they were, but we know this: they are our only hope."

Everything clicked in Shinn's mind. The reason _Shinn_ continued to interrogate Athha. The reason for the Resistence's lack of action. Lacus had also mentioned something about certain shipments dropped to Earth by the Eternal before it was destroyed.

Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice.

"Let's go back, Luna. And set everything right."

It was brief, but Shinn saw it and he grinned.

Luna's eyes sparkled, just as her counterpart always did.

* * *

"Interesting, everything seems to be the same," _Shinn_ scratched his head and looked about him with boredom. Same old Orb. Nothing exciting. Extremely tedious little island it was. 

Nevertheless, it was_ his_ island.

It took him quite awhile to come back, as he lacked identification or any sort of weaponry. But he still had the one thing he was best at - intimidation. With his sadistic nature and arrogant attitude, he made it back with ease, Destiny Plan or not. Although that made him ponder about the Plan's enforcement.

"I'll have talk to Rey about it. People's gettin' too slack. But I need to see her first," at that, _Shinn_'s lips curved into a vicious smirk. how he had always hated her cheerful personality. It was nauseating, and breaking her mind and heart had certainly been fun, again and again.

"Hey you, what do you think you're doing?" A soldier actually had the audacity to snap at him. Well well, he'll have to 'set him right'.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, you little squeak?" His red eyes blazed angrily, and the soldier whimpered in shock.

"A-Asuka-sama!" The soldier's face was completely pale. _Shinn_ threw back his head and laughed. Ah yes, fear, how he enjoyed it. _Power is indeed a useful thing eh, Athrun Zala? You can't use it well, that's why you died by my hands, you and that Freedom. _He sneered gleefully in his mind.

"W-what are you doing here? I thought you went to Scandinavia with Captain Hawke."

_Shinn_'s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He towered above the soldier menacingly and snarled commandingly in his face. "Tell me everything."

As he listened to the recent events, _Shinn_'s smirk grew wider and wider. How amusing. An imposter then. Ha! What the hell was Rey doing, to be fooled by the imposter? There was only one way to get to the bottom of everything.

"You, do not inform anyone of my return, you hear me?"

"Y-yes."

"What?!"

"Y-yes, s-sir," the soldier hurriedly added and saluted promptly.

_Shinn_ stared into the sky and chuckled darkly, "We'll soon see who you truly are, and what your purpose is. You, take me to Destiny, now."

"Yes sir."

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End of Chapter 5

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**A/N: **Sigh, stress keeps this fic going, doesn't it, while other fics stay un-updated...

So, the story has reached a crucial point. Lacus is on Shinn's side, and Lunamaria too, as she is slowly warming up towards our protagonist (as he's supposed to be in the actual anime...). Dearka and the rest are still dubious, and Cagalli still loathed _Shinn_. Ah yes indeed, _Shinn_ is back at Orb. Dearka and Shiho know nothing about what Shinn told Luna, though (meaning Dearka still wants to rip either Shinn into pieces). Stay tuned for more!

Gundam 00 has officially caught my interest, but of course, I'll still look forward to the Gundam Seed Movie, which we know nothing about...

Thank you all for the encouragements! They really keep me going!

Athyra


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